


Millicent Avoids a War

by GrumpkinVicky



Series: Millicent Avoids a War The Multiverse [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Divergence - Post-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Crack Treated Seriously, Dark Creature, Dimension Travel, Hag, Mandrakes, Mentor Severus Snape, Millicent centric, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Pocket Dimensions - Freeform, The Deathly Hallows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-13 06:50:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21239954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrumpkinVicky/pseuds/GrumpkinVicky
Summary: Millicent Bulstrode is a Hag, well she will be when she reaches the age of Seventeen at the end of the summer holidays, it's just a shame that her Guardian Professor Snape has informed her that her sixteenth year will end with her no longer having a home to return back to after announcing his appointment as the cursed DADA position. And so Millicent plots and plans her way through her Sixth Year, avoiding the Ferret and the Teachers Pets whilst hanging on to her temper as best she can.The series is an experiment in multiverse, as Millicent proves to be a highly entertaining Hag to write about.





	Millicent Avoids a War

It had been clear from the moment their Head of House had been announced as the new DADA professor that a foul wind was blowing through Hogwarts. Millicent had been concerned before she’d even returned, Professor Snape had as her legal guardian, warned her of uncertain times to come. A curse if ever she had heard of one. She was still too young to be allowed to live alone, not that she would have chosen to return to the house where her father had been slaughtered by the agents of light, or was that dark. She’d been sick of the whole thing from the moment she’d gotten her letter to attend back when she was ten. Pureblood meant nothing when she had Hag blood running through her veins.

She’d been blackmailed by the ferret to joining in with Umbridge, if she wanted her secret to remain a secret that was. Why the Professor didn’t let her kill the runt was beyond her even if he was the prat’s Godfather, but he had advised against it and she owed him a great deal. It was when he’d failed to mention not to this year that she knew something was truly wrong, more than her last living relative being killed, worse than the dangerous restrictions being proposed in the upper echelons of polite society. The Professor had explained every year for the last five why she wasn’t allowed to use Malfoy for rituals, but this year, he had advised her that he couldn’t guarantee that she would be allowed to return with him at the end of the year instead.

Too Slytherin to outright state what he feared, but it had been enough for her to read between the lines. So she had devoted her time to planning, she had inherited a fair sum from her father’s estate, but most importantly had been the unregistered wand that the Professor had forgotten to take from the vault after he’d pointed it out. She’d become quite adept from there on, her mother’s Hag Bag had been a welcome surprise. It had been what had first tipped her onto her daring plan, she would prove her place in the Noble House of Slytherin with her scheme. 

The batty Ravenclaw that had taken to hanging around Potter and his chums had started to lurk around Millicent instead. Millicent had caught her staring several times, tilting her head and circling like Millicent was one of the creatures the girl claimed to exist. 

“They’ll find you in the hut.” Great now Elune, no that wasn’t right, Moony, no, Luna was now speaking to her.

“Indeed,” Millicent was hardly going to tell her that she wasn’t going to be living in the hut, that was the problem with the bag, it was only good for transporting, she’d need someone to look after the physical bag that way. No, that wasn’t the plan at all.

“Oh, you are going to where the spirits live.” Millicent wondered if the Professor would complain if she offed the Ravenclaw.

“Is that so.” The bag was back in her dorm, otherwise she could have just shoved the blonde menace in right here without anyone noticing.

“I won’t tell anyone,” Of course she wouldn’t, Millicent hadn’t said anything. “I can help though, you’ll need help to get into the come and go room.”

“Stop harassing Luna, Bulstrode, come on Luna, you don’t need to worry about Bultoad bullying you this year.” Merlin’s sake, the Gryffindorks had a sixth sense when it came to a Slytherin being within 12 inches of one of their little friends, and bloody Weasley was as biased as the prat Malfoy.

“But Millicent is lovely,” Perhaps it wasn’t too late to apply for a transfer to Durmstrang, if Luna the Menace was going to go around saying things like that where anyone could hear.

“Luna, it’s ok, she can’t bully you now we’re here.” Granger, always bloody Granger, cheating little witch, always too good, know it all. No, Millicent would stay quiet, she would continue to study and hope that the teachers pets would wander off rather than have their arguments in the Library. Maybe Madam Pince would intervene, not likely, but perhaps.

“But Millicent is lovely,” Was that the time, Millicent was sure that she was needed somewhere. Maybe Pansy would be back in the rooms, wanting to complain about the latest thing the ferret had done to upset her. 

“Come on Luna,” Potter, at least he kept his mouth shut about things he didn’t know about for once. 

She breathed a slow sigh of relief as her four tormentors finally left, with Luna being dragged away whilst staring back with what Millicent could only describe as a mournful expression. It would prove to be only the first encounter she would have with the girl. Luna would appear as if by magic every time Millicent settled down to research spells. The Professor had been a valuable ally, she would miss him, he had warned her not to share her plans with anyone, and that sadly he would not be able to join her. Still, he had given her access to the restricted section, and had escorted her as her legal guardian to Diagon Alley repeatedly for the things she had been unable to reach in Hogsmeade. 

He had escorted her home, and aided her in the packing up of her former home, over the Yule holidays. She had become quite adept at the various charms, and her Hag Bag, her mothers bag… Well, it had become quite full. They had some quite enlightening conversations, about morality, mortality, and the state of the wizarding world for those who were Other. 

If an ill wind had blown through Hogwarts when the Professor was announced as the DADA teacher, it was a banshee wail when he took her to his home for the Easter break, donating his private library and several Prince heirlooms. The potions book she’d stolen from Potter when she’d spied her guardian’s moniker, Professor Snape had handed back to her. The closest they had gotten to speaking openly as to what was to come, had been when he had after some testing of the bag. He had allowed her to carry him places whilst he was in the macabre cabin, after which he had transferred over all of his potion supplies. Millicent had been allowed to hug him, in the privacy of his former home, and he had not commented on the tears that had soaked his robes.

From that moment on, she had thrown herself completely into her task. The Professor would not be making it out alive, she would have nothing to return for if she would even be able to. She would have to make it work. And so she volunteered with Professor Sprout in the early mornings, claiming a desire for extra credit for her Potions studies. She’d even learnt how to ignore the intense glares from the teachers pets for daring to be in their hallowed space. She’d spent several weekends in with Madam Pomfrey, for her Potions studies, learning first-hand basic aid, and then had pestered for a reading list for suitable books to have at home for after Hogwarts. Millicent had been quite proud, Professor Sprout had been somewhat dubious at first, but had soon accepted that Millicent had been there to work and not to cause chaos as Weasley tried to say every time they’d appeared to collect Longbottom in a morning. Weasley had even managed to slur Millicent to the point where Professor Sprout had removed points, it had taken a while, but with Millicent doing her best to keep quiet and carry on working, she had finally come out on top in an exchange with the pets.

Millicent had in the course of the school year, managed to acquire a dragon’s hoard of books and knowledge from both the Bulstrode estate and the Professors, she had the basic skills not to kill plants, and would be able to heal the minor ailments that would put her most at risk. She had done her best in Transfigurations, and had even petitioned the Head of Lions for extra tutoring which had been denied repeatedly, even with the backing of her guardian, the old bat refused. 

“Mrs Weasley swears by The Good Housekeeping Guide for Witches.” Luna again, every time Millicent sat down to work on another aspect she appeared, but it wasn’t a bad idea. She didn’t know how to clean her clothes without the use of house elf. Perhaps, perhaps she could get a house-elf? No, that wouldn’t work, house-elves didn’t last long in Hag Bags, not and remain usable, and they didn’t really mix well, the little creatures thought they were too tempting to Hags. She was lucky that she hadn’t quite come into her inheritance yet, not until the last day of summer. Well she’d be long gone by then. She’d have to be with what she was planning.

Millicent was barely surprised when at an early morning session Longbottom handed over a thick tome with Good Housekeeping Guide scrawled over it.

“Luna asked me to give it to you, she says you wouldn’t accept it from her.” So Millicent was to accept it from Longbottom instead, because out of the two of them she would prefer that? Hardly but then it might mean she could go a day without seeing the Ravenclaw.

“If that is what she said.” Millicent just needed to hold her temper a few days more. It was all she had to do. Keep her temper, suffer the abuse, and not burst into tears every time she saw the haggard-looking Professor. 

“Uh, ah, is - is everything alright Bulstrode?” Longbottom looked ready to wet himself, as he handed over a grubby looking handkerchief.

“Of course, why wouldn’t it be.” She could do this, as she used the much cleaner end of her robe to wipe away the not tears from her cheeks.

“Well, uh, if you're sure?” 

“Oi Neville, leave the Bultoad to finish up, Prof Mac’s calling a house meeting.” She was relieved in a way, for the way Weasley was a prat of the first degree. She restrained herself from hexing him as he walked off sneering about her looks yet again. 

“Professor Sprout?” Finally, she would be able to ask the question that had been bothering her the most.

“Yes, Miss Bulstrode?” Millicent was Miss Bulstrode, and Longbottom was Neville, and they said the place wasn’t biased. 

“I am concerned about something.” She could see Professor Sprout mulling over sending her to her Head of House straight away.

“Have you spoken to Madam Pomfrey?” Better than she had expected.

“Yes Professor Sprout, she has suggested I speak to yourself.” Well, Madam Pomfrey hadn’t quite said that Millicent had asked a question that she’d known would get her referred to the Herbology Professor, so that if it was backtracked later, her story would fit. Professor Snape would back her, but with his Guardianship of her being common knowledge, it had held less sway over the faculty than before.

“I’m not entirely sure why I would be better than Madam Pomfrey, but if it is important.” Millicent bit her tongue, and counted to five, ten would be too long and only irritate the Hufflepuff.

“With the death of my Mother and my Grandmother being lost to the family since before I was born,” There was a slight softening from the Professor, “Well, I’m worried about Mandrakes.” She was hoping the Professor would understand.

“Ah, yes, well it’s good that you have an alternative to the traditional diet.” Millicent bit her tongue once more. “Well, whilst they may squall like babies, you can be assured that they are the lighter option for a healthy Hag.” 

“I will get my inheritance in the summer holidays,” the last day of them, but there would be no reason for the Professor to know that. “I am concerned that I will struggle.” Millicent really didn’t want to have to explain further. How could she tell the other woman that Professor Snape would be dead, or gone. That Millicent would be gone from this world if it worked the way she hoped. Thank Merlin the Professor wasn’t Slytherin.

“Well, if you are afraid of Professor Snape’s opinion, I am sure he would be the first to say that he understands your nature. It was the reason why he was chosen out of the Professors to act as your Guardian.” Millicent didn’t doubt for a second he had been the only one to volunteer. If she had been little Luna Lovegood, well they would have been fighting over her, but a Slytherin Hag whose father had been butchered like a dog by Aurors over false information that he was a Death Eater, well, she only had a few more days before her escape.

“Professor Snape has been very supportive,” Millicent wouldn’t let him be dragged for this. “Madam Pomfrey said the best person to talk to though would be a Herbology expert.” 

“I will provide you with a few plants to be going on with, from my own personal variety. If you treat them correctly it should give you a good basis for your own personal gardens.” Millicent thought she did impressively well not to let out a sigh of relief. 

“Thank you, Professor Sprout. Should I look at having a couple of other varieties to ensure healthy stock for a long-lasting line?” Millicent was veering dangerously close to confessing part of her plan.

“Whilst I wouldn’t suggest that you rely only on one strain, you will find that other varieties lack in quality. However, until you develop your own taste, having a few varieties isn’t a bad thing. You may find that you prefer a woodier flavour, or perhaps your soil is better suited to certain strains.” This was the information Millicent needed. “I will have a list for you with notes for our next session Miss Bulstrode.” 

“Mrs Weasley had her old machine, she wanted you to have it.” Millicent took a breath, before looking at Luna who had once again found her, this time behind the Owlery. 

“Of course she did.” Millicent bit her tongue as the blonde menace unveiled an old fashioned sewing machine from, well what she could only guess as an Invisibility sheet.

“You’ll have a spindle already.” 

“Indeed.” It was written in all the textbooks, classic Hag warning signs, a spinning wheel set up in a dark room with a pile of straw. A large stove with space for four piglets. Merlin, Weasley had even asked her if she was so big because she’d eaten her own house, in front of his Head of House who had sniffed and not removed points for bullying.

“Mrs Weasley found some old material that she donated so you could learn to make clothes.” Millicent counted to ten. “Mrs Weasley also thought that you might want a copy of her book of household charms.” That, that was unexpected. Of course not for a moment did she believe Mrs Weasley knew who Luna was gifting all these things too, no doubt she took pity on the girl without a mother.

“That was very thoughtful of Mrs Weasley.” Millicent went to hand the sheet back to Luna, who backed away suddenly. “Thank you, Luna.” There, she had said it. 

“I wish I could come too, but they’ll need me.” Millicent could hear the dulcet tones of a screaming Weasley from here.

“Goodbye, Luna.”

“Goodbye, Millicent.” It was the last time their paths crossed. Millicent could have sworn she’d spotted the fae girl hovering in the background as she collected the last of the samples she needed from Professor Sprout's greenhouses. Millicent was also fairly sure she’d spotted her following discretely as on her last morning she made her way through to the library. The library, where she would perform her most heinous of plans. 

The Library had been empty, she’d asked Professor Snape, as she had thanked him for everything he had done for her, about the Library. She was the first Hag to have attended Hogwarts in centuries, Hags had if they had gone through Education attended Durmstrang, not the British school that had adhered to the strict Other ban up until well, Professor Snape had done much to get her a place. There were charms on the books, to not be removed without consent from the room, and duplication charms would fail, with the intent that this would prevent students accessing knowledge without consent. The charms were… not set up to contend with a Hag Bag, the small pocket dimension overwrote the removal charms. She had a limited time frame to get the job done, her pass to the restricted section was still activated. She stole everything. She shrunk the cases, and with some care transferred them into the dimension space. All of them. 

Millicent’s whole body was tingling under the strain of what she was attempting, the perfect plan. Well it only had to last until she could leave the grounds. A little distraction. Well, the explosion had been slightly bigger than she’d planned, it had taken out part of the wall, and blown the remaining mass of a library in chaos, with bookcases fallen over, books flying around, rubble and dust filling the air. She just made it out and around the corner when the first of the faculty came running, and with a quick cleansing charm, she slipped into the background with her concealed bag. 

It wasn’t that she had planned to trip the Headmaster, but he had appeared behind her, and Millicent wasn’t afraid to admit that she was nervous. He had made a sound as she was trying to make her way to the Infirmary to say goodbye to the Madam, feeling a debt for her tutoring. He had made a sound and she had hexed him, had disarmed him as he had gone to protect himself. 

“Sorry Sir,” Better to apologise quickly, it was less painful than being forced to. Perhaps he wouldn’t expel her before she could leave. Millicent pondered offering to help him up, but the old twinkly-eyed goat was spry enough to pull himself up. 

“Not to worry Miss Bulstrode, my fault entirely, we live in dangerous times after all.” Yes, yes they did, and it was because of his side her Father was dead in the ground. 

“Yes, Sir.” Why was he staring at her like that. Blasted old goat, no, she needed to bite her tongue, not long left. 

“Miss Bulstrode,” She could see he wanted to say something else.

“Headmaster.” He left, and she let out a slow breath, the barmy old coot had left his wand, she wasn’t going to chase after him. No she’d put it in her bag, and if he asked for it well she’d, well she’d give it back of course. She was a Hag but she wasn’t a thief.

A polite farewell to Madam Pomfrey who was busy trying to heal some of the idiots who had decided to race into the library without bubblehead charms on. Millicent had avoided answering the question as to whether she would be rejoining her in the Infirmary for her final year, but had been gifted a copy of the Madam’s personal notes, which had a special section for Hag’s. She had been glad at that point that she had followed her instinct to thank the stern Healer.

“Bulstrode,” When had Longbottom become an adult. He had met her eyes and was standing fairly straight. 

“Longbottom.” All she had to do was wait, he would either say what he had to say, or he would get pulled away by the others.

“Uh, Luna said that you were leaving.” Millicent hadn’t heard a question. If she wasn’t carrying around evidence of her crime, well she’d be more inclined to let him squirm.

“Yes. We all are, it’s the summer after all.” She could see the confusion in his eyes. “If that’s all?”

“Oh, well, see you next year then.” Millicent almost pitied his future, being so easily manipulated.

“Goodbye,” She wavered for a moment, “Goodbye Neville.” Yes, he’d not been too bad overall, and it was somewhat worth it to see him blush.

“I, uh -” He was quite tall now, come to think about it. Millicent gave him a proper look. He was tall, well built, she knew he was sturdy, she’d seen how his arms flexed whilst wrestling some of the livelier specimens. “Maybe, maybe we can keep in touch over the summer?” She almost smiled.

“Sadly I will be out of range of Owls this summer.” Well, she assumed she would be, she hadn’t heard of Owls being able to reach Hag Bags so a different dimension would probably be out too…

“Oh.” He looked almost upset by that. 

“I’m planning to go away for the summer, last summer before well, I turn seventeen.” Millicent was aware that outside of the Faculty only a few knew her secret, but the rumours were still rampant about her heritage.

“Perhaps I could meet you somewhere?” She gave him an appraising look this time, and was pleasantly surprised when he continued to meet her eyes even if he was blushing.

“Perhaps.” Still, she had much to do, she needed to stay out of the way until it was time to leave.

“Uh, Millicent?” 

“Yes, Neville?” Millicent let out a small chuckle as the familiar screeching of the lesser spotted Granger was shouting for him in the background, as he let out a low groan.

“Can, I mean, will you-” He dithered, and she let her face reveal her smile as the call of the Weasel joined the screeching. “Coming, I’m coming” She stepped back as Long-Neville bellowed back to the protectors of the inane.

“Goodbye Neville.” She didn’t let him say anything else, choosing to retreat whilst his attention was split. Not that she could work out why exactly he’d been there in the first place.

What was the Ferret doing now, Professor Snape expressly hadn’t told her she couldn’t kill the brat. She had some time left, she could almost guarantee that no one would miss him until it was time to eat, he might even get the blame for the library. It was a foolproof plan, well, it was a plan that she only needed to avoid being caught for less than half a day. So she followed him, followed him to the small room. 

“Oh Ferret, what have we here…” Millicent let her Hagness shine as he stared at her in horror.

“Bulstrode, you need to leave.” Oh little Ferret, she was going to. But not before she took out one of her chief tormentors. 

“Tut tut tut, step away from the door little Ferret, we are going to play a game.” Millicent was impressed at how pale he’d gotten, considering he was all but a ghost as it was.

“You don’t understand, you need to leave!” She hadn’t known the Ferret could squawk like that. 

“Oh but Malfoy, how can I understand when I am nothing but a creature, a dumb thick creature who isn’t fit to lick your boots.” 

“Bulstrode please, please listen to me, they are waiting for me to open the way through, and then they are coming to kill Potter.” She clicked her tongue, what did she care about the Ferret’s plans. She could summon the Auror’s who were investigating her little explosion, but then that would mean that they’d want to talk to her, and she couldn’t risk it.

“Deatheaters? Really Ferret, you do keep the most ridiculous company.” She hurled a hex at him as he tried to veer to the cupboard. She needed time to think. 

“Please-” She silenced him, she needed to think not listen to him whinge again, she’d heard enough of that.

“Here’s what I’m going to do, Ferret. I am going to leave you all tied up, and put your wand say… over here. And then I’m leaving. You can open it up as soon as you get free.” Well, it’d give the Faculty time to arrange the capture of the intruders. 

“Nice seeing you Ferret, I hope they don’t punish you too much.” She couldn’t help but blow him a kiss, snickering as he passed out in fear. A quick charm of the door so that he would be unable to just open it, a nice Gordian knot of Hagstraw, she wished him luck. 

“It would be a shame if Auror’s were to investigate that room where there is a secret passageway that Deatheaters might have used to blow up the Library.” She said loudly catching a glimpse of the familiar blonde hair at the end of the corridor. It was not the most subtle of ploys, but it would do. Millicent was able to slip out into the Great Hall, merging into the background as the school was invaded by Auror’s and adults looking very serious indeed.

She caught the eye of her Guardian who looked as she felt, nervous, anxious. A nod, she’d follow him. She followed him up to the top of the tower, where the old coot was waiting, who looked - well she wasn’t sure what the emotion was. 

“Miss Bulstrode,”

“Professor Snape.”

“It would seem, Miss Bulstrode, that you have been very busy this afternoon.” Millicent let a placid smile out.

“I have merely been saying goodbye to my tutors and classmates, Sir.” He gave her the half quirk that meant he was amused. 

“Of course.”

“Yes Sir, I was hoping to also say goodbye to you too. And the Headmaster.” Millicent was proud of the way she didn’t mutter the latter half.

“Miss Bulstrode, I am sad that I didn’t get to make more of your acquaintance.” She even managed to not roll her eyes at the Headmaster, and the half quirk turned into a full quirk, her Guardian was proud.

“Of course Headmaster,” Millicent didn’t point out the times he could have when he had avoided speaking to her over the summers and winters he had visited the Professor. 

“Miss Bulstrode has been an asset to Slytherin, Headmaster.” Perhaps the Professor would let her hug him goodbye.

“Thank you, Sir, I only aim to follow in your footsteps.” Perhaps that was too maudlin in front of the enemy. 

“Quite well said, Miss Bulstrode isn’t wrong Severus. You have been truly inspirational, and it has been my greatest honour to have worked alongside you.” That was going a little far, the old coot would be crying next. Had he no sense of propriety?

“Headmaster,” Millicent would miss him. Perhaps she could take him with her, while he was distracted, push him into her bag. No, he had given her a look that said he knew exactly what she was thinking, coupled with the feeling of pressure in her mind. 

“I shall remain here and take in the view for a few moments longer, Severus if you will escort Miss Bulstrode down.” Millicent knew she was missing something, but she had her own problems, mainly being that she wanted to hug him goodbye, without foolish Gryffindors infecting them with false emotions.

“Goodbye Headmaster.” 

“Goodbye Severus, Miss Bulstrode.” She couldn’t help but be relieved as they started down the stairs, with the Professor shaking his head as she began to speak. Half relieved when moments later Potter of all people barrelled into them, claiming that they had killed the Headmaster.

“Harry, they didn’t he was still alive as they left!” Millicent’s life was turning into a Witches Weekly drama, what in the world was Neville doing there looking guilty as a Malfoy. The Professor didn’t look much happier.

“Potter, cease this babbling now, Longbottom I will not ask what you are doing spying on a private meeting, but believe me when I say you will be in detentions until you graduate!” Millicent bit back the smirk as her guardian hissed.

“You killed Dumbledore!” Potter was cracked, he was never happy, never. 

“Harry, he didn’t, they didn’t, Dumbledore stepped off the edge after they’d left the room. You have to believe me, they didn’t kill him.” She bit her tongue and didn’t look at her guardian. 

“Well, they must have said something to him, forced him to take his own life.”

“Why, because we’re Slytherin?” She couldn’t help herself, even as the Professor clenched his grip on her shoulder in warning. Fucking Potter.

“Harry, they didn’t they just said goodbye, that was all, the Professor entered with Milli- Bulstrode and the Headmaster spoke to them for a minute and then asked to be left alone, that’s all. I’ll even take the verit - the truth thing.”

“Neville, he has you imperio’d. Or no, she does, the Hag, I bet she did it whilst you were with Professor Sprout, just waited until she wasn’t paying attention and forced you to say it.” She was going to punch Potter in a moment, even if it would ensure she would get caught with - blasted snitch, who would release one now, this blasted day. She caught it discretely as Potter was frothing at the mouth, with Neville arguing her corner and Professor Snape was distracted trying to stop Potter from killing them outright. All they were missing were - no, there they were, looking red and out of breath, the idiots of the brave.

All she had wanted to do was thank the man who had saved her, that had been the only thing she had wanted to do. If they caught her, she’d blame it on accidental magic, all the emotions of the day and all. She let out a highly ill-advised sleep charm, after staring at the Professor so he could ward against first.

“I’m sorry Sir, I need to go.” 

“Millicent,” She really wanted to push him into her bag. “Sadly child, my job isn’t yet done. I owe a debt that will haunt me if I leave now.”

“What about my debt Sir?” Her Slytherin was lacking subtly today, but she had limited time to craft a better argument.

“There is no debt between family. Daft girl, but if you insist, do not come back, be free, there are no guarantees if you remain, and history has never been kind to our kind.” He allowed her a hug, kissing her gently on the forehead. “I wish you the very best future my child, I have never been more proud of you. Now run before they start investigating properly. Go down to Hagrid’s and out into the forest.” 

“Goodbye, Sir,”

“Goodbye, Millicent.” They bowed, and she turned tail and ran like the wind, slipping through the back corridors with ease, the ease of avoiding the ferret and the idiots all the years. She wanted to grab her broom, but it would be too obvious, no, a gentle ramble, head held high, nothing to see, nothing to hide. She wasn’t stopped, not even when she saw Hagrid bustling around with his dog, no, nothing to see, just a student out to for a walk, clear her head. 

She stopped at the edge of the Forest, looking back towards the castle, it would be the last time she saw it. No one about, of course they wouldn’t be, they’d be in the Great Hall being lectured whilst crying over the fact that Dumbledore had died. She wondered if they knew about the planned siege, or if the idiots who had killed her father would keep it quiet. Not her problem, none of it was. 

It didn’t take long to reach the clearing, the ritual stones already in place. She wasn’t home free just yet, still the ritual to complete, and then a prayer to Lady Magic, if she was wrong she would be better off walking into the deepest darkest parts and letting the Forest take care of the problem. 

She took a deep calming breath, no thinking about the fact Auror’s might be on her tail to kill her. No thinking about Potter chasing after her to kill her. No, she needed to focus. She needed to clear her mind as she traced the intricate pattern with the offering of virgin blood, focusing on her goal, letting safety take prime focus. There was a hum in the clearing, with the faint glow of a completed pattern. Now for the offerings, the egg of a rooster, the tail of a man, the tongue of a worm and the heart of a stone. Each accepted with the delicate ringing of bells. For the finale, a sacrifice. A memory, of her mother and her father. She’d thought long and hard over the last part, she’d considered her virginity, but that was hardly something to worry over, and she would have had to have another here for that. Her hair, but that would regrow, even if she would have been lacking that protection for months. No, when it came down to it, short of the Professor, all she had left was her memories.

The clearing lit up, with a doorway appearing in the centre, the way open showing a forest, a different forest to this, or she hoped. She allowed herself a smile, she’d done it, she’d managed to do something that shouldn’t have been possible. She had managed something that she had created stitched from Hag tales, and Muggle myths. 

“Millicent!” Why had she smiled? Better Longbottom than Potter. Still, she had no idea how long the portal would last for, no use hanging about, the clearing would explode as soon as she left the area so it wouldn’t be recreated. 

“Neville, you need to leave,” Only warning she’d give him as she took a step forward towards the door, she could already feel a change in the magic, if she didn’t go now, she would lose everything she’d worked for.

The feeling was like that of being squeezed and stretched at the same time, and she could hear the explosion in the background behind her as she landed on the other side, there had been a bit of a drop, the doorway hadn’t been quite on ground level. The Professor would give her a EE instead of an O for the ritual. She let out a pleased giggle, she had just travelled through a gateway of her own creation - well, Lady Magic had allowed her. 

“Millicent!” Why had she giggled? She was never being pleased with herself again. She steeled herself and looked up, Longbottom, and -.

“Professor Lupin?” Her heart was definitely in her mouth.

“Miss Bulstrode,” the giggle that slipped was definitely a hysterical one. 

“Millicent!” she let out another giggle again as Neville was busy trying to stand up whilst trampling all over her former Professor. Maybe she was dreaming, maybe it hadn’t worked and instead she had blown herself up and this was well, the Other side. No, she had a pain in her knee where she’d landed awkwardly.

“Neville, you shouldn’t have followed.” 

“The question is Miss Bulstrode, where are we?” How, how had she achieved something so impossible and yet she was still being schooled. 

“I don’t know, just not there anymore.” Perhaps she shouldn’t have mentioned she didn’t know, from the appalled expression on his face. The hysteria was drifting away. “I wanted to go somewhere safe,” She wasn’t a Hufflepuff, she wouldn’t explain why. 

“It’s alright Professor Lupin, we can just go back.” Apparently Professor Lupin believed that as much as Millicent did from his expression. “Millicent was coming back after the summer.” She let out a tiny giggle again, unable to bite it back at the expression on the older mans face.

“Miss Bulstrode?” She was half tempted to be disingenuous, but the older looked like he might snap.

“Neville, there is as far as I know, no way back.” She refused to feel guilty at the look on his face. Refused. She hadn’t said she would, she had just not said she wasn’t. There was a difference. 

“Miss Bulstrode-”

“Please Professor, please call me Millicent.” She wasn’t sure if she could cope with being referred to as Miss Bulstrode as if they were still back there. She was here to escape all of the nonsense, to be safe and free.

“Millicent then, you cast a ritual, a complex one. Surely you had a plan to return at some point?” She could see it in his eyes that he knew what she would answer with.

“No Sir, the point was that I would never have to return. It’s a dangerous time, especially for someone who is Other. I would either be killed by the Light or the Dark, for much the same reason. Professor Snape informed me that I would no longer be able to stay with him after this year, so I found a way out, one that didn’t involve my untimely death.” Neville was swaying on his feet, she could see the moment he understood the words.

“I see. Perhaps the others will be able to retrieve us.” She kept quiet as the Professor stared at her.

“Gran’s going to kill me!” 

“I think perhaps, that thanks to Millicent she won’t be able to.” Millicent shrugged. She hadn’t asked anyone to follow, in fact, she had warned Neville to back away.

“I would offer my apologies Neville.” She bit back the smirk as the Professor gave her a look, still time was wasting and she had no idea where she was and no shelter beyond crawling into her bag. 

“As we will be spending some time together,” Millicent wasn’t foolish enough to believe he would let her wander off without them, but a tiny part of her deflated, “You may both address me as Remus, we shall I have no doubt, become great friends.” Millicent was very proud at how she didn’t raise her eyebrow at the blatant lie. After all, friends didn’t call out friends on outright lies like that.

“Yes, Remus,” Neville repeated in a soft after her more hearty agreement. She was free, and he had no power over her, well, not when she reached her inheritance. Then she would be able to slip the chains fully.

**Author's Note:**

> This started off as so much of my work does, something completely different. I have a few different variations of what happens next, all glorious one-shots of what happens when you mix a Hag with different worlds and times who just can't die.
> 
> It gets dark, dark in a hopefully funny way, the black humour one gets when you mix a wolf and a hag in situations where morality is in the hands of the holder. Spoilers for completed stories ; Nirn (Skyrim version), Hagwarts (I won't spoil it but I couldn't help it), Narnia (Millicent and Jadis wouldn't leave me alone). I have two others in the works Maurader era edition, and Thedas (two of them). I'll try and post them without doing a Millicent and forgetting what's in her bag - slight spoilers there ;)
> 
> I would like to give a big thanks to AlyssumFlowers without whom I probably would have just lolled and shoved into the back of my writing docs file.


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